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| Ayers Rock |
A couple more comments
about the experts that are traveling along with us on the trip; I’ve mentioned
that on each leg of the flight we have a lecture related to the location we are
heading towards. It really helps give us the background and understanding of
the locations. Our third expert is David Aguilar, who is the Director of
Programs at the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge. David
is a great lecture; full of expression and vitality wish I had a lecture like
him back in collage. David has also done some constellation viewing with us at
night and in the early morning.
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| Sun Downers at Ayers Rock |
After the comment about
the stars I have to interject my star comments at this point. The stars and
constellations in the Southern Hemisphere are just so much more brilliant than
what we witness in the Northern Hemisphere. I guess I have to mention that the
stars seen in this half of the world are not the same as what we see in the Northern
half. Linda and I experienced this in Africa, it’s really different and quite
beautiful.
On to Australia, the
smallest of the world’s continents. After clearing customs in Brisbane fly on
into the central area near Ayers Rock. This area is called the outback, and
it’s outback for sure. Hot and arid common temperature is 100F with many days
above that. The landscape is flat and desert, flat that is except for several huge
monoliths. Ayers Rock, or Uluru as the aborigines call it, is a sandstone
formation that stands 1,142 ft tall and has a perimeter of 5.8 miles. The other
nearby rock formation are the Olgas, a series of rock formations that are
several humps. Against the sunrise and sunset these formations take on
beautiful color variations.
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| Face nets for flies in the Outback at Olgas |
Technology, I have to say
something more about the obvious things that strike me. Toilets, simple aren’t
they? With so much about water conversation this is an idea you would think
would go viral. Every toilet I saw in Australia had two strengths of flush. The
operator was in the top of the tank and was about 2” round with two halves that
were independent. One you pushed for half a flush and the other for a full
strength flush, doesn’t that make sense?
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